Questions to Ask Executive Management when Considering a New Job

It is common wisdom that the interview process is a two-way street. You should be interviewing the company that you are considering working for to determine if you will be a good fit for the culture and values of the company. If you get a chance to talk to executive management, you will certainly want to be prepared. What questions will you ask? Contrary to popular opinion, I do think that there is such a thing as a dumb question. After all, you do not want to destroy your credibility by lack of preparation. Here is a list of some ideas, but just select a few:

On the Culture & Growth:

What kind of person succeeds here?

How do you define culture?

How would you characterize your management style? and those of the folks on your team?

Whose careers have you influenced the most?

What do you, personally, do to continue to grow?

On the Future:

What are your customers telling you is their biggest unmet needs?

How do you see the needs of the company's market changing in the next few years?

How will the company look different in the next 3-5 years?

What excites you the most about the future of the company?

Deeper Questions:

NOTE: Make sure that it is appropriate to ask these questions! These require a higher level of rapport with the person you are talking to.

Tell me about {name a key person} who has recently left the company?

What about employee turnover?

What is the toughest decision that you have had to make recently?

What is the most important thing that you are working on right now?

What keeps you awake at night?

What to look for:

When listening (and observing) the answers to these questions, I look for honesty and openness. Executive leadership sets the tone for a company. Do the answers convey integrity or evasiveness? Displays of passion are important, but is there also a depth that inspires confidence? Would you hire this management team to lead the company that you decide to work for?